An Awfully Long Time
by RestinParadise
Summary: Oneshot. "No, Peter hasn't forgotten. Peter will never forget. Peter will always protect his lost boys, and fight the pirates, and be merry in his Neverland. He will be the young, carefree, charismatic boy with the arrogant grin and joyful laugh forever."


A/N: First Peter Pan fic. I own nothing, but I hope you like it all the same. Reviews are love!

Everyone thought he didn't remember. That as time went on, his memories faded what he knew of parents and adults and growing up. They were wrong.

He remembered. He remembered all of his lost boys, the old and the new. He remembered their stories, even when _they _forgot. All of the boys, though unique in their own way, had the same beginning when he rescued them to Neverland.

He sat and listened comfortingly as they ranted, complained, and explained about the life they've left behind. The unfairness of their families, the tragedies of the orphanages, the cruelty of the rich toward the young helpless _lost_ boys, he'd listened to it all. He sympathized, empathized.

Peter brought them to his sanctuary, his home, his _Neverland._ He protected them, became their father, taught them the ways to survive against the pirates, and all the other dangers they could encounter. Taught them to work together, to be a family. He made sure they were safe and cared for. Who needs adults? Who needs those suffocating rules? Who needs to grow up? In Neverland you wouldn't have to. You could be perfectly content and carefree for eternity. Who wouldn't want that?

Wendy didn't; at least not very long. At first she was just as excited as the other lost children he'd brought to the island. No responsibilities, no one to tell them they couldn't do what they pleased. But as time went on, she became more and more unfulfilled. She didn't want to play anymore; she didn't want to _be there _anymore.

In the end, Wendy decided that she had to grow up, to become responsible. Respected. Mature. She took her brothers with her. He hadn't stopped her. All he wanted was the best for them. He liked Wendy, he truly did. The adventures they had together, the things they've seen together, he knew they would be good together. But like most things, good things don't last. As she desired, she grew up and had a family of her own, a life with her own rules and expectations and restrictions. A life without him. And then he encountered Jane.

He wanted Jane to stay as well, wanted her to be comfortable and happy, just like his lost boys. He tried to make her the mother to the lost boys, made Tink try to help her fly, and even made her the first Lost Girl. But she too wanted to leave Neverland and return back home. Truthfully, she never wanted to be there in the first place. However, Peter tried to give her the best experience she could. Tried to make her laugh. Make her smile. Make her enjoy herself in her time there. His attempts failed, and in the end she too left.

But why would they want to go back so soon? Back to their lives of such mundane, boring activities. Who would want to leave a place so beautiful and exciting as Neverland? Why go back to a place that, no matter what you do, you'll always be lacking. To a place where people are hurtful and spiteful and will never let you be yourself. _You'll never amount to anything._ _You can't be this. You can't be that._ Why would you want to live in a world with so many _rules? _Where you can never be your own person and someone will always be talking down to you: your parents, your employers, those with more money and more power? Why choose to grow up and be forced to face all of that? To be forced to partake in that monstrosity?Why want to become the people that force children to cower in their rooms, to be angry or feel unsafe about the world. Why willingly choose to become rule enforcers, and fun killers, and yellers, and scolders, and boring, gross, _adults. _Why choose to _become_ that?

As he listens carefully to another one of his lost boys, his newest recruit, once more telling him stories. Telling him of the life this poor soul left behind.

_I never had a father. He died when I was small. Mums never home but she doesn't care, really. And when she is, she just yells and throws things. So I'm always on the street. It's 'kay though._ His little lost boy is twisting his shirt between his fingers looking up at him with wide trusting eyes._ I really like bein' outdoors. I'm real good at pickpock'ting too. And, and, and I'm real good at hiding. Please don't send me back. The mean people 'tside the bank always 'coff at me, tell me I won't 'mount to anythin' _He says looking sadly down at his lap.

He wouldn't send this boy away. Not to go back to a life like that. Peter will keep him safe away from those nasty grownups that have forgotten what it's like to be a child.

No, Peter hasn't forgotten. Peter will never forget. Peter will always protect his lost boys, and fight the pirates, and be merry in his Neverland. He will be the young charismatic, carefree boy with the arrogant grin and joyful laugh forever.

No, Peter Pan will never grow up.


End file.
